"John Banks is one of the UK's most prolific audiobook narrators, working for the likes of Big Finish, Audible, Random House and Games Workshop.

He is a true multi-voice, creating everything from monsters to marauding aliens.

He is also an accomplished stage and TV actor."

audible.co.uk 2018

Soul Wars

Hello...

...I'm John Banks - welcome to my website. The majority of my working life has been spent in the theatre with companies including York Theatre Royal, Cheltenham Everyman, Sheffield Crucible, Bristol Old Vic, Manchester Royal Exchange and the National Theatre in London.

Television work includes Emmerdale, Coronation Street, and 'Allo, Allo!'. I have also worked on a number of radio drama and comedy productions with the BBC.Since March 2009, I have enjoyed playing a huge variety of characters in more than 250* audio-drama stories with Big Finish Productions, together with The Black Library/Games Workshop, details of which can be found in the postings below.

There are also details listed here of the 165* audio books I've recorded since March 2013, including the unabridged New Revised Standard Version of The Bible, for companies including audible.co.uk, Hachette, HarperCollins, RNIB, W.F. Howes, Little Brown Group, Penguin Random House, Games Workshop, Orion, Fantom Films & Ladbroke Audio.

(*figures at April 2019)

I hope you find something of interest here and come back soon for further updates.

For all posts, reviews and audio samples, please scroll down...

Blood of The Old World

Games Workshop

The Moggotkin of Nurgle

Released June 2019...

Released January 2019...

Released January 2019...

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Friday, 20 November 2015

Audio updates...

What with computer meltdowns and furious bouts of activity, it's been quite a while since I've just been able to post a general update about what's going on in my professional world, tiny as it is.

First thing to mention perhaps is the astonishing realisation that our recording of the New Revised Standard Version of The Bible, read by me and produced by Neil Gardner, is complete.

After 18 days in the studio, we finished last Friday evening, although as the editing process has reached Galatians, Book 66 of 84, there will still be a number of pick ups and corrections to be made over the next several weeks.

The greatest 'surprise' when reading The Bible as a narrator, was just how many names there are, both of people and places and how fearsomely tricky some of them are to say, especially if one wishes to give a flowing, seamless read, which is of course, a minimum requirement. Here's a very small example of what I mean, taken from The Book of Numbers, although there are many other exhaustive 'lists' throughout The Bible:

Numbers Chapter 1: Verses:

4 A man from each tribe shall be with you, each man the head of his ancestral house.
5 These are the names of the men who shall assist you: From Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur.
6 From Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
7 From Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab.
8 From Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar.
9 From Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon.
10 From the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
11 From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni.12 From Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
13 From Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran.
14 From Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel.
15 From Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan

For reasons unknown, one of the trickiest names to read 'fluently' was King Ahasuerus; getting the pronunciation right drove us both to distraction. Anyway, here's Rembrandt's impression of what he might have looked like, bless 'im!

The next item on the agenda is to mention a couple of BBC Radio Drama Award nominations. Checking the Big Finish web site the other day, it came as a bit of a surprise to realise that four of their productions have been nominated for the 2016 Awards and I'm delighted to be acting in two of them - I know! Third year in a row to be nominated, which is hugely gratifying, as I'm sure you can imagine.

The two nominated productions I'm involved with are The Judgement of Sherlock Holmes, written brilliantly by Jonathan Barnes, in which I play Inspector Lestrade and The Hunted from the second series of Survivors, again, superbly written and directed by Ken Bentley, in which I play Daniel Connor. Congratulation to the entire cast & crew involved in the nominated productions - what larks!

And so, to round off with teasingly minute scraps of information about what's coming up. You will, I know, sympathise with me in regard to a situation that arose a couple of days ago; I was offered a really exciting job that I'd been hoping to get for weeks. My joy lasted for mere seconds however, when I realised that it clashed with another job already agreed and in the diary; to add to the carpet chewing frustration, the jobs only clashed because the original dates had been altered - oh, the agony and the ecstasy - only in reverse!

Moving on; I'm very much looking forward to co-narrating a fascinating new novel next week. It's a highly original work, full of twists, turns, red herrings and wrong-footings and I hope both the book and our audio-book do very well.

At the end of next week, I start recording the biography of an actor, who might well be of great interest to classic Doctor Who fans and I shall say much more about both projects at the appropriate time.

Following that, in a couple of weeks, I'll be recording more audio drama for Games Workshop and for the first time in several years, I'll also be narrating some short stories and a novella for them, which I'm really looking forward to and very excited about. Plans are also afoot for a hugely challenging and exciting project, but I really can't say anything about that at the moment because I'm still waiting to be 'approved' by the powers that be; if it works out, and I ought to find out fairly soon, there will definately be much more to come on that particular update - much more!

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Ultramarines

Psychic Awakening

Warcry: Death or Glory

Warhammer 40,000

Flight. Redefined.

Reviews & comments:

The Malazan Empire

Over the course of this 8 book series, the amazing John Banks has had to create and voice 648 distinct characters!

Neil Gardner - producer

The Door In The Wall & War of The Worlds

Not often I buy another version of an audiobook I own, but after hearing John Banks' narration of The Door in the Wall by Ladbroke Audio, I had to buy their version of The War of the Worlds. Banks has a great reading voice.

Andy Frankham-Allen - writer

The Books of Babel: Senlin Ascends, Arm of The Sphinx & The Hod King

Mr. Banks does superb work, and I recommend the audiobooks wholeheartedly!

Josiah Bancroft - writer

Mervyn Stone: The Axeman Cometh

John Banks is a voice genius...

Nev Fountain - writer

Mervyn Stone... played by the note-perfect John Banks.

Matt Hills - Reviews in Time and Space

Dr. Who: The Sleeping City

I also must draw attention to John Banks who is an exceptional voice artist and in this one story performs more characters that I can count. ... it is listening to episodes like this one that really do let his talents shine through.

Tony Jones - Red Rocket Rising

Highlander:

...playing several parts, was the brilliant Big Finish regular John Banks - it was as if there were about 40 different actors in the other booth.

James Moran - writer

I went for the best of the best and brought in voice artiste extraordinaire John Banks.

Paul Spragg - producerVienna:

...also features the mind - bogglingly versatile and reliable John Banks

Jonathan Morris - writer

Dead Funny:

The acting is first rate… wonderfully played by John Banks as Richard – his impersonation of Eric Morecambe is worth the admission money alone.

Beverly Greenberg: Bolton Evening NewsMr. Happiness:

This early and unfamiliar play by David Mamet is a character study of a 1930s radio counsellor, dispensing suave advice to his devoted listeners. John Banks brings out the wry comedy of this – comedy quite unappreciated by the character – with a clever range of gesture and vocal tone.

Jeremy Kingston: The Times

All My Sons:

This is a beautifully crafted piece ...and it affords a wonderful opportunity for John Readman* to do his All-American Boy act as Chris Keller. This most polished and well observed performance as the blighted son of a blighted father must rank as one of his finest accomplishments yet. ( * see Profile)The Stage

The Ordeals of Sherlock Holmes

Kudos should also go to John Banks.Lestrade can be a thankless part, but Banks rose to the challenge, playing a pivotal role in this decades long arc.

Raissa Devereux - SciFiPulseThe Judgement of Sherlock HolmesJohn Banks is multi-tasking, both as the superb Lestrade and also the villainous and no doubt moustache twirling Sebastian Moran. They sound completely different and I bow to his talent.Sue Davies - SFcrowsnest

Further reviews and comments are included with specific postings throughout the site.